Sunday 26th October 2025
Super League Basketball Championship
Cheshire Phoenix 114 B. Braun Sheffield Sharks 95
It was a game that should have been remembered for some incredible offence but amid chaotic scenes, it was hosts Cheshire Phoenix who took a 114-95 victory over a battle-scarred B. Braun Sheffield Sharks. The Sharks had led by as many as 16 points at the mid-point of the third quarter but with four players teetering on 4 fouls and three reaching their limit, it was Cheshire who stretched their advantage out to 19 to claim the win. The Sharks hit an astonishing 16 of 31 three point shots, spurred on by Dirk Williams, who claimed 7 on his own to finish with 29 overall. However, amid confusion and at times disbelief, the Sharks fell to a 3-3 record ahead of a double-header weekend to follow.
Starting Fives
Phoenix: Diggins, Rideau, Lindo, Brenchley, White.
Sharks: Williams, Nixon, Chatman, Ratinho, DeLoach.
Key Moments
The game two weeks previous was rightly deemed a classic and this one had similar makings in the early stages. Prentiss Nixon made the first ten points for the Sharks, who went up by 8-10 before falling into the penalty with fully 5.52 to play in the first quarter. Three point shots rained from both sides as Frankie Policelli drew the Phoenix to within one at 19-20 but replies from Rodney Chatman III and Dirk Williams saw the Sharks through the 30 point barrier. Policelli concluded the period with the Sharks in front by 26-30.
The tables were turned on a Matthew Zona triple as Cheshire went up by 31-30 and they increased that lead to six at 43-37 on Damiri Lindo’s two-handed jam. Back came the Sharks through Jalen DeLoach. His and-one play and three pointer pulled the Sharks to within one at 50-49 and with Rodney Chatman’s three point play, they regained the lead. A technical foul call on Nick Kern Jr sent Skyler White to the line but back to back Dirk Williams’ treys saw the Sharks go in at half time ahead by a high-scoring 57-61.
Williams spell with the hot hand continued into the second half, draining yet another three from the wing before making a tough fadeaway. Rodney Chatman kicked out to Prentiss Nixon for three as the Phoenix called for time with the Sharks in front by ten at 59-69. Kern picked up his third and fourth fouls in quick succession but Williams produced an outstanding sequence of plays, sandwiching a pair of threes with a superb block on Cheshire’s Patrick Robinson as the gap reached a high at 61-77. Again the Sharks hit the penalty with the best part of four minutes to go and as Cheshire chipped away from the line, Jordan Ratinho picked up his fifth foul and left the contest. Robinson levelled the game from the stripe at 82-82 before a pair of Jalen DeLoach free throws saw the period end at 82-84.
The game at times descended into farce as the final stanza played out. DeLoach swiftly moved to four fouls before his replacement Mike Ochereobia reached his limit and left the game. Skyler White’s uncontested three opened up daylight for the ‘Nix at 94-85 as confusion reigned once more over foul calls. Rodney Chatman hit a big three and then laid-in for an and-one to show that the Sharks hadn’t gone away at 97-93, assisting to Kern to dunk shortly after at 99-95. Laquincy Rideau became the first Cheshire player to flirt with foul trouble with three minutes to play but shook that off to make back to back threes with the score at 109-95. DeLoach was the next Sharks player to exit the game after late realisation that he too had reached his limit and as frustrations boiled over, it was Cheshire’s Robinson who concluded the win from the line with the score at 114-95.
MVP
There was scintillating offence on the part of both teams and it was a shame the game was called the way it was as it had all the makings of a classic. Jalen DeLoach shouldered much of work in the paint for an admirable 13 points and 8 rebounds and the lively offence of Prentiss Nixon saw him to 17 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and a steal. There was a captivating 37 minutes on court from Rodney Chatman III, who finished with 24 points, 2 rebounds, 7 assists and a steal including 4 of 9 makes from deep but the game night MVP was Dirk Williams. He was seemingly unstoppable at one stage, making 7 of his 10 three point attempts to end with 29 points, 3 boards, 2 assists, a steal and a blocked shot. Despite his and the Sharks efforts, victory was not to be on this occasion.
Next Game
Manchester Basketball v B. Braun Sheffield Sharks, Friday 31st October 2025, National Basketball Performance Centre, 7.30pm Tip Off.
Image
Josh Rackham
